Geometric Transformations

Part 1.1
Introduction to Transformations
In high school geometry, it is customary to
speak of rotation and translation.
Some triangles are proved congruent, and
others are proved similar.
In other types of geometry to be studied,
one talks of the ideas of inversion and
projection.
All of these ideas are related to a very basic
concept in geometry, that of a geometric
transformation.
Before the precise definition of
transformation, it is necessary to explain the
idea of mapping.
Definition
A mapping of a set A onto a set B is a pairing
of elements of A and B so that each element
of A is paired with exactly one element of B,
and each element of B is paired with at least
one element of A.
Example
A mapping of a set A onto a set B
The previous figure shows an example of a
mapping whose ordered pairs are (a1, b1),
(a2, b1), and (a3, b2).
A mapping of set A onto set B may also be
indicated by the notation b = f(a).
Here, an element b of B is the image of an
element a of A under the mapping f.
Note:
For a mapping of set A into set B it is not
required that each element of B be involved
in the pairing.
A special kind of onto mapping is of
importance in mathematics, this is a
one-to-one onto mapping, or a
transformation.
Definition
A transformation is a mapping f of A onto B
such that each element of B is the image of
exactly one element of A.
In other words, a one-to-one
correspondence exists between the sets of
elements of A and B.
Example
A simple example of a transformation is
shown below.
Example
Recall that a function is a set of ordered pairs
with no two different pairs having the same
first element.
Example
It can be seen that the definition of mapping
is equivalent to a typical definition of
function, since in a mapping, having two
pairs with the same first element would
mean that an element of A is paired with
more than one element of B.
Example
It is customary to use mapping rather than
function in geometry, however, when the
sets being considered are sets of points.
Example
One of the essential differences between a
mapping and a transformation is that
reversing the elements in the pairs of a
mapping does not necessarily result in a
mapping, while reversing the elements in
the pairs of a transformation also results in a
transformation. Why?
Example
Here are other examples of transformations
to help make the concept clear.
Example
a. A pairing of points on a number line
indicated by x → 2x + 3.
For example, points with coordinates
1 and 5 or 2 and 7 would be paired.
The arrow notation simply designates that
the second element is the image of the first
under the transformation.
Example
b. (x, y) → (x + 2, y – 1) is an example of a
translation, a type of transformation that will
be studied in more detail in a later section.
Example
b. (x, y) → (x + 2, y – 1)
Example
b. (x, y) → (x + 2, y – 1)
As shown in the previous figure, each point
in the plane is paired with a point two units
to the right and one unit below the original
point.
The concept of transformation is important
because of the fact that sets of
transformations can be used to classify
geometries.
In high school geometry, for example, the
transformations allowed are rotation,
translation, and sometimes similarity.
Allowing other, more general types of
transformations results in other modern
geometries.
In a particular geometry, the student studies
properties of figures and their images under
a set of transformations.
Invariant properties are those that do not
change.
In the study of geometry through
transformations, the student is asked to
notice close relationships between modern
algebra and modern geometry.
Readers who have not yet studied abstract
algebra will find necessary concepts
explained in this text (lesson).
If f is a transformation from A onto B and g is
a transformation from B onto C, the product
h = gf is defined as the transformation from
A onto C such that h(P) = g[f(P)] for each
point of A.
Note that the product gf is defined in such a
way that the transformation on the right is
performed first.
Example: Product h = gf
In the next figure, the pairs in h are
(a1, c3),
(a2, c2),
(a3, c1).
Example
As an example of finding the product of two
transformations, consider the two defined as
follows for all real points (x, y).

f (x, y) → (x + 1, y + 1)
g (x, y) → (x + 2, y – 2)
Example
f (x, y) → (x + 1, y + 1)
g (x, y) → (x + 2, y – 2)
In this example, note that the ordered pair
has elements that are points expressed using
an x and y coordinate in the Cartesian
coordinate system of analytic geometry.
Example
f (x, y) → (x + 1, y + 1)
g (x, y) → (x + 2, y – 2)
Example
f (x, y) → (x + 1, y + 1)
g (x, y) → (x + 2, y – 2)
The combined effect of gf is to cause (x, y) to
have the image
(x + 3, y – 1)
In special cases, the product of two
transformations is the identity
transformation, I, (a1, a1), (a2, a2), …, (a3, a3).
For the identity transformation, each
element is its own image.
The identity transformation leaves each
point fixed. In this case, if I = gf as illustrated
in the next figure, then g is the inverse
-1
transformation of f, indicated by f , so that
-1 -1
f f = ff = I.
Recall that the inverse of a transformation
has the effect of ‘undoing’ the original
transformation, so that the product of a
transformation and its inverse is the identity
transformation.
If f is a transformation such that (x, y) has
the image (x + 4, y – 2), then what is f -1?

Answer:
(x – 4, y + 2)
Final Term Seatwork # 1
1. For the transformation indicated by
(x, y) → (x + 5, y – 3), give the image of these
points. a. (2, 1) b. (0, 0) c. (– 3, –2)
2. Let f = {(a, b), (c, d), (e, h)} and
g = {(b, i), (d, j), (h, k)} be transformations.
Find a. product gf b. product fg
c. f -1 d. g -1